Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for ascertaining the optimum operating speed of a production machine that can operate in a specific speed range, and to a system for implementing such a method.
In many branches of industry, machines are used that can operate at more than one speed. Examples of this are a packaging machine that can fill 30 to 50 packs per minute, for example, an extruder that can process a mass of 1200 to 1500 kg per hour, or a printer that can move and print 200 to 400 meters of paper strip per minute.
The desired speed to be predefined for the machine operation in each case is generally taken by the machine operator from operating instructions of the machine manufacturer.
However, the desired speed ascertained in this way does not necessarily have to be the optimum speed: neither with regard to production quantities per unit time, nor with regard to production costs. This is explained by the fact that machine manufacturers often specify an excessively high machine speed for competitive reasons. In addition, the machine manufacturer cannot take account of particular production-related circumstances when specifying their speed. For example, a machine may possibly be able to fill 50 packs per minute with dry, fine-grain coffee without difficulty, but when filling more than 30 packs per minute with moist, finely ground coffee, can often cause downtime.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a system and a method for ascertaining the optimum operating speed of a production machine that overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that automatically optimize the desired speed of a production machine.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a system for ascertaining an optimum operating speed of a production machine set to operate in a specific speed range. The system includes a data acquisition device assigned to a production machine, and a data processing device. The data acquisition device is set to acquire production data. The production machine is assigned to the data acquisition device. The data processing device has a data input device for acquiring additional information. The data processing device contains a production-data acquisition device, links the production data from the data acquisition device with the additional information from the data input device to form product data, and stores the product data in a production database. The data processing device contains an assessment function that recalls the production data from the production database and a stored assessment model, to ascertain an operating speed and stores the operating speed in a data storage device. The data processing device contains an optimization function having access to data in the data storage device, and, by linking with production unit costs, ascertains an optimum operating speed desired value, and feeds the optimum operating speed desired value to a desired value storage device.
In accordance with a further object of the invention, the production data can include time of machine downtimes caused by fault events, duration of machine downtimes caused by fault events, and production unit numbers per unit time.
In accordance with a further object of the invention, the additional information can include a respective reason for a failure and, in each case, a description of a product to be processed.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method for ascertaining an optimum operating speed of a production machine operatable in a specific speed range. The first step of the method is acquiring production data. The next step is acquiring additional information. The next step is forming production data by linking the production data and the additional information. The next step is storing the production data. The next step is ascertaining an optimum operating speed from the production data, an assessment model, and ascertained production unit costs.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a further system for ascertaining an optimum operating speed of a production machine operating in a specific speed range. The system includes a data acquisition device assigned to a production machine, a data input device, a data processing device, a production database, a data storage device, an assessment function, a desired value storage device, and an optimization function. The data acquisition device is assigned to the production machine and acquiring production data. The data processing device acquires additional information from the data input device. The data processing device contains a production-data acquisition device of the data processing device, links the production data from the data acquisition device with the additional information from the data input device to form product data, and stores the product data in the production database. The assessment function contained in the data processing device recalls the production data from the production database and a stored assessment model and ascertains an operating speed from the production data and the stored assessment model and stores it in a data storage device. The optimization function is contained in the data processing device. The optimization function has access to the data in the data storage device and ascertains an optimum operating speed desired value by linking the data in the data storage device with production unit costs, and feeds the optimum operating speed to the desired value storage device.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a system and a method for ascertaining the optimum operating speed of a production machine, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.